


Familiar Flames

by redlipstickblackdress



Series: The Vencian Women [2]
Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Mild Sexual Content, Pon Farr, Rivalry, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-20
Updated: 2013-09-20
Packaged: 2017-12-27 03:41:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 9,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/973882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redlipstickblackdress/pseuds/redlipstickblackdress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chekov's girlfriend becomes jealous when his old flame from Starfleet Academy pays a visit.  Spock is also in a relationship, but his girlfriend wishes she could have more physical affection.  Unfortunately, she is affected by an old artifact to be in a robotic state right before Spock is consumed by the flames of pon farr.  Can she be cured in time to save him from dying from a chemical imbalance? </p><p>Sequel to "The Vencian Bride."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chekov Gets Some

Jessa finished the chapter she was reading and closed the book. She stood up and adjusted her short red Starfleet uniform. She had been given a job as a historian on the Enterprise. Her long red hair was getting in her face, so she tied it back with an elastic band that she happened to have around her wrist. It was late, but she wasn’t especially tired. She went to her quarters anyway and was changing into her sleepwear when there was a soft, polite knock on her door. She pulled on the long white t-shirt and opened the door. She was immediately met by her boyfriend, Pavel Chekov, still in his yellow uniform and black pants. She let him in and closed her door again. 

Chekov immediately wrapped one arm gently around her waist and put his free hand on the side of her face to kiss her sweetly. 

“I missed you, Jezza,” he said in his Russian accent. 

“I missed you too, Pavel,” she smiled. He kissed her again and her hands slid up his chest while his lips moved over hers languidly. He released her lips and moved his mouth to her neck, kissing a line down the soft skin. He kissed his way back up and sucked her earlobe into his mouth, playing with it in his teeth and making her gasp. She ran her hands down his chest and slipped them under his uniform shirt, running her fingers up and down the warm skin. He sighed against her neck. 

In a swift movement, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bed, capturing her mouth again and slipping his tongue inside to explore. He laid her down on the bed and lowered himself on top of her. Jessa pulled his uniform over his head and tossed it away. Her hands returned to his chest, drawing shapes with her fingers over his skin. He began kissing a line down her neck again, murmuring in Russian all the way down. She had no idea what he was saying, but she didn’t care, it sounded sexy no matter what it was. 

He slid the white t-shirt off of her and discovered that she had already removed her bra in the process of changing. He kissed his way down her sternum, lower until he reached her stomach, and then licked his way back up. He lowered his lips back down to hers, allowing their tongues to move over each other while she slid his pants off his hips. He grabbed her red ponytail and moved his mouth across her cheek until his lips brushed her ear. Giving her hair a firm tug, he whispered something in Russian, then translated it: 

“I love you, Jezza.” 

“I love you too,” she gasped, and with this declaration, they removed the undergarments that stood between them and their passion.


	2. Vulcan Finger Touching

Kerrah had just finished examining a video of a Klingon wedding ceremony when the door opened and Spock entered. The door closed behind him and he stood with his hands clasped behind his back. Kerrah, who had started working as an anthropologist on the Enterprise, smiled at her Vulcan boyfriend and stepped out from behind a desk in her short blue dress.   
“Mr. Spock?” she said with mock formality. 

“Ensign,” he nodded. “The captain has asked that I be available to assist you as you become accustomed your new position on the Enterprise.” 

“Has he?” she asked innocently. “I suppose you have no personal interest in the matter?” 

“Following the captain’s orders is always in my personal interest,” he answered dutifully. 

“Now that I think about it, Mr. Spock, I do have one thing I need,” she said a bit flirtatiously, walking closer to him. 

“That is?” 

“This,” she answered, wrapping her arms around his neck, standing up on her toes, and pressing her lips to his. He kissed her back the same way he always did – affectionately, but carefully. Vulcans could not let their emotions become out of their control. When she broke the kiss, Kerrah looked into his eyes and smiled. 

“It would....please me if you would accompany me in my quarters when you are finished working,” Spock informed her. 

“I’m finished now,” she replied. It was fairly late. They left the room and walked to Spock’s quarters together. He opened the door and they both entered, walking over to his bed as the door closed behind them. They reclined on the bed facing each other, propped up on elbows. 

They just looked at each other for a moment, then Spock extended his free hand between them, his index and middle fingers pointing toward her. She did the same with her available hand, and slid her fingers over his. He did the same, and they did this for a while. Perhaps it would be strange to most non-Vulcans, but Kerrah liked it. The fact that Spock showed her affection using his native customs reminded her that he cared about her, even though it wasn’t always easy to tell. 

The Vulcan finger-touching continued for a few minutes, and then Kerrah leaned forward and kissed him. He put a hand on her waist and kissed her back hesitantly while her hand slid behind his head. When she broke the kiss, they both laid down on Spock’s pillows and he took her hand, playing with her fingers until she fell asleep.


	3. The Captain's Morning

In the morning, Chekov and Jessa put on their uniforms and left Jessa’s quarters. As they were walking out, Jessa ran right into Captain Kirk. She blushed when he glanced between her and Chekov, giving them a knowing look. 

“Good morning, Mr. Chekov. Ensign,” he nodded to Jessa. 

“Good morning, Keptin,” Chekov replied. 

“I trust you two had a good night’s sleep?” Jessa blushed furiously. 

“We’re good to go, Captain,” she replied, then realized that made it sound even worse and blushed again. 

“That’s good to hear,” he replied, looking thoroughly amused. “Chekov, I’ll see you on the bridge in ten minutes.” The two ensigns scampered off and the captain continued through the ship. When he was walking past Spock’s quarters, he saw Spock come out, followed by Kerrah. 

“Mr. Spock,” the captain said, about to walk past, then did a double-take when he noticed Kerrah. “Ensign...” he greeted Kerrah, giving Spock a very curious look. He looked between the two of them for a moment, then opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. He looked back at Spock. “Mr. Spock, did you...you didn’t...” he tried to start, then realized that the question was too personal to ask and that he might not want the answer. Spock just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, daring him to ask. “Never mind,” the captain gave up. 

“I was just on my way to the bridge, captain,” Spock said. 

“Yes, I’ll see you there,” the captain said, starting to walk away. He glanced back in time to see Kerrah kiss Spock softly on the lips before the two separated. Kirk just shook his head and kept moving.


	4. Irina

The crew on the bridge could see a ship on their display screen. 

“Sir, we’re receiving a distress signal from the USS Starglow,” Uhura told the captain.

“Open hailing frequencies,” he instructed. 

“Hailing frequencies open, captain.” 

“Enterprise to Starglow. State your intentions,” Kirk instructed. 

“Starglow to Enterprise. We’d like to come aboard,” a voice spoke.

“What is the problem, Starglow?”

“Our ship’s dilithium matrix is damaged, we need transportation to the nearest starbase.” 

“How many of you are there?” 

“Four.” 

“Bridge to transporter room, Scotty, are you ready?”

“Aye, captain.” 

“Starglow, are you ready to beam aboard?” 

“We’re ready.” They were beamed aboard and the captain made his way to the transporter room to greet their visitors. When he got there, he was surprised to find that he recognized them. They were an antiestablishment group that he had once transported to a planet that was beautiful, but deadly. Two of their members had died on that planet, but the remaining four were apparently still a group. 

They were escorted to the sickbay to be examined. The last time the group was aboard, one of them had been a carrier of a disease that he was immune to, but that could have been spread to other people on the ship. The group went through all their check-ups one by one. 

Meanwhile, Chekov had directed Sulu in the right direction and wasn’t needed on the bridge for a while, so he went off to find Jessa. He discovered her in a lounge area sitting among many other crew members and passengers. She was playing a stringed instrument, plucking out the tune for a Russian folk song he had taught her, so he sat down and sang it, smiling at her and bobbing along to the music. He was having a lot of fun with it. 

While they were playing and singing, a young woman from the antiestablishment group entered. She was wearing a long floral print skirt with slits up the side that exposed her entire legs and was barefoot. She had on a triangular piece of fabric with long sleeves that covered her arms and chest, but her stomach and entire back were exposed. Some of her skin was painted with pastel flowers and shapes, and she had flowers in her long, wavy brown hair. 

She looked at Chekov from the back, smiling as he finished the song. When he was done, she spoke. 

“Pavel Andreivich,” she crooned in a thick Russian accent. “I have not heard zat song since we last sang it togezer at ze Academy.” 

Chekov turned around and looked surprised. 

“Irina,” he said, his eyes wide. Jessa raised her eyebrows and stood up, putting her instrument down and standing next to Chekov, giving this girl a good once-over. Who was this scantily-clad Russian girl, and why did she seem so familiar with Pavel? 

“Ze last time I saw you, you were so proper,” Irina continued, standing with one of her hips sticking out and a long bare leg poking out from one of the slits in her skirt. “You have changed since the last time I was on zis ship vith you. You took my adwice not to be so rigid,” she cooed. 

“Not really,” he answered. “I am still happy with what I do, my duties on ze ship come first. Zey were not needed right now, so I was having some fun with Jezza.” 

Irina looked at Jessa as if she just noticed her standing there. She looked the redheaded girl over, then returned her attention to Chekov. 

“You have made a friend on your ship,” Irina said with a smile. “Zat is good.” At this, Jessa hooked her arm through Chekov’s giving him a kiss on the cheek. Who did this girl think she was, anyway? Irina noticed the kiss with raised eyebrows. 

“Jezza is more zan just a friend, Irina,” Chekov said, and Jessa smiled. Thank goodness he was clearing this matter up once and for all. 

“I see,” Irina said, looking Jessa over again. “I am Irina,” she introduced. “Pavel and I knew each other at Starfleet Academy. He ees so different than ze Pavel I used to know,” she said smugly. Jessa raised her chin a bit and grabbed Pavel’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. One of Irina’s hippie friends came in and gestured to her. “Vell, I must go receive my medical exam. I hope to see you again while I am on zis ship, Pavel.” With that, she turned and sauntered away, her hips swinging as her hair swished across her bare back. 

“Pavel, who was that?” Jessa asked. He looked into her eyes. 

“Just a girl I knew at the academy,” he answered. Jessa had the distinct feeling that there was more to it than that, but he didn’t elaborate. He seemed a bit tense from the meeting, so Jessa put her hands on her shoulders and pressed a kiss to his lips. He smiled and took her hands. “It does not matter, she ees no one to me,” he assured her. He was called back to the bridge and gave Jessa a quick kiss before leaving.


	5. Spock Steps on McCoy's Toes

Spock had just finished assisting Doctor McCoy with the examinations of their passengers, much to McCoy’s frustration. When they had sent the last one away, Kerrah entered. She smiled at Spock and his eyes lit up, although his expression didn’t change. McCoy raised an eyebrow and then rolled his eyes. 

“Ensign, is there something I can do for you?” he asked Kerrah pointedly. 

“Oh! Yes, Doctor McCoy,” she said, snapping back to reality. “I’ve been having strong headaches the last few days and I don’t know why. I thought perhaps you could give me something for them.” 

“Have a seat,” McCoy told her, gesturing to a bed for her to sit on the end of. Spock stood watching. “Mr. Spock, don’t you have somewhere to be?” 

“I was ordered to assist you in your medical examinations, Doctor,” Spock replied calmly. 

“Fine, do what you want,” McCoy grumbled. He stood next to where Kerrah was sitting and began to ask her some questions that might help him ascertain the cause of her headaches. “Have you hit your head recently?” 

“No.”

“Are the headaches accompanied by anything else? Nausea, dizziness, impaired vision, perhaps?”

“No, just the headaches.” 

“What kind of pain is it? Sharp or sudden, a dull ache, throbbing? Where on your head does it hurt?” 

“It’s mostly concentrated on the sides of my head. It feels like a moderate, constant pressure.” 

“Have you been experiencing any stress or anxiety?”

“Yes...yes, that must be it. I’m so worried I won’t be good at my new job. I mean, I never went to the academy like almost everyone else on the Enterprise...I’m so scared of failing.”   
“Well, I’m not qualified to assure you in that regard,” McCoy said bluntly, “but I can give you these,” he said, pulling out a container of pills. “They’re basic painkillers, they might help.” 

“If I may interject, Doctor,” Spock began, “I have been studying the practice of Vulcan neuropressure, and I believe some of the techniques are useful in relaxing the mind and body, which could relieve headaches due to anxiety.”

“I could try that,” Kerrah said with a smile. 

“Fine, who needs me anyway, it’s not like I’m the physician on this ship,” McCoy muttered sarcastically. “Mr. Spock, you can give your girlfriend all the massages in the world, just don’t do it in my sickbay. Now, it would appear that my medical examinations are finished for the time being, and I’m sure you have elsewhere to be, Mr. Spock.” 

The Vulcan just nodded to him and left, Kerrah following behind. 

“Could you come to my quarters tonight? We can try the Vulcan neuropressure.” 

“I will be available at that time,” Spock said dutifully. He went to return to the bridge while she left to go back to studying.


	6. Irina's Plan Fails

Jessa had joined Chekov in his quarters to spend some time with him before bed. They were snuggled up on his bed telling stories from their childhoods when there was a knock on Chekov’s door. Confused, he got up to open it and found Irina on the other side. 

“Irina?” he said, quite surprised, and Jessa sat up. “Ees zhere something I kin do for you?” Irina’s bottom lip pouted out and she put a hand on her neck, turning her head around in a circle.   
“My neck ees a bit sore, I was wondering eef you might rub it for me,” she asked, her eyes innocently wide as she pouted. Pavel looked a bit uncomfortable, glancing back at Jessa, who had crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Perhaps you should see Doctor McCoy,” he answered. “I also know zat Mr. Spock has been practicing Wulcan neuropressure,” he added. 

“I do not wish to bother zem...I thought zat since you are an old friend, it would not be much trouble,” Irina said with a smile, putting a hand on Pavel’s shoulder. 

“Uh...well...” he stammered awkwardly, taking a step back, “Jezza ees much better at that zan I am,” he stepped aside so that Irina could get a better view of Jessa in the room. Jessa raised her eyebrows at Pavel, not sure why he volunteered her for this task, but glad he wasn’t going to do it himself. 

“Yes, Irina, I give great neck rubs,” Jessa said sweetly.

“Oh...” Irina said, lifting her chin and ignoring Jessa completely, speaking only to Pavel. “I thought you vere alone. I am sorry I bothered you,” she said, then turned and went away. 

“I hope she doesn’t have too much trouble sleeping with her sore neck,” Jessa said innocently, and Pavel smiled at her and returned to the bed, wrapping his arms around her. They returned to cuddling on the bed and he kissed her soundly, slipping his tongue into her mouth briefly and sucking on her bottom lip. He placed a few kisses on her neck and then kissed her softly on the lips again, stroking her hair until they both fell asleep.


	7. A Neuropressure Surprise

Spock arrived in Kerrah’s quarters. She had changed into her sleepwear and she let him in and closed the door. 

“Are you prepared for me to begin the neuropressure?” he asked calmly. 

“Yes, I’m ready,” she answered. 

“Please remove your shirt.” Kerrah stared at him for a moment. She didn’t know how to explain that she wasn’t wearing a bra at the moment. She didn’t realize that he’d ask her to take it off. 

“Spock, I’m not...I’m not wearing anything underneath it.” He raised an eyebrow at her. 

“The neuropressure is most effective when unimpeded by excess material. I will be able to apply the techniques more proficiently if I can freely access the nerves along the spine.”   
“Well...okay,” Kerrah said. They went over to the bed and Spock sat behind her. She pulled her shirt over her head and then quickly covered her chest with the shirt, holding it tightly against the front of her torso. Although they were in a relationship, Spock had never seen her topless before, so she felt a bit awkward about it.

Spock placed his thumbs along either side of her spine, a few vertebrae under the base of her neck, and applied a moderate amount of pressure, not enough to cause pain, just enough to be felt. Kerrah sighed at the feeling as she felt herself relaxing. Moving his hands down a bit, Spock did the same thing, reaching just the right spot and making Kerrah sigh again. He continued working his way down her spine, and she felt herself getting more and more relaxed. Finally, he reached a spot at the bottom of her spine and as his fingers touched it, Kerrah gasped. Spock removed his hands and raised his eyebrows. 

“That is not a reaction I have ever observed during neuropressure, yet I am certain I followed the technique correctly-“ 

“Spock,” Kerrah interrupted, “I don’t think it has anything to do with the technique,” she squeaked. Deciding to try again, Spock replaced his hands on her lower spine and touched the spot again. This time, Kerrah completely forgot about the shirt she was holding to her chest and dropped it. She turned around on the bed to face him, sitting toward him with her torso completely exposed. She thought she saw him glance down at her chest and could have sworn a look passed over his face for less than a second, but if such was the case, he hid it well. 

“Shall I continue the neuropressure treatment?” he asked politely. 

“Sure,” she said. Reaching around her, he touched the spot on her lower spine once more and was surprised when Kerrah moaned softly and grabbed the back of his head, pressing her lips to his passionately and slipping her tongue into his mouth briefly. He kissed her back instinctively, unprepared for this turn of events. She broke the kiss and looked at him, watching as his eyebrow raised. She could practically hear him thinking, ‘fascinating,’ although he didn’t say it out loud. Unbeknownst to Spock, he had found an area of Kerrah’s body that made her incredibly aroused, one that was personal to her. Embarrassed that she had just sort of attacked his mouth with hers, she blushed and said, 

“That was very relaxing. Thank you.” 

“I hope the neuropressure will diminish your troubles.” 

“I’m sure it will,” Kerrah said, pulling her shirt back on. 

“I will leave you to get the rest you require.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Spock,” she said, and he left her to sleep. Sometimes Kerrah wished that their relationship was more physically intimate, but she knew she had to be patient with him.


	8. Irina Declares War

Jessa was studying some historical archives, playing with a strand of her long red hair, when Irina entered the room. 

“Hello,” she said. 

“Hello,” Jessa answered cautiously. 

“Vhat are you working on?”

“I’m looking at some archives. I’m a historian.” 

“I see. Vhen did you graduate from ze Academy?” 

“I...I never went to the Academy...I left my planet when my best friend was rescued from a dangerous engagement on our planet and Pavel and I fell in love.”

“I left ze Academy. I was going to be a scientist, but I wanted to be free.”

“Well...at least you’re doing something that makes you happy,” Jessa said politely. She wasn’t a fan of this Irina, but she was a friend of Pavel’s, so she was determined to at least try to be nice to her. 

“You seem to have done Pavel some good. He vas always so...correct. Yet he struggles not to be. You have taught him to enjoy life.” Jessa smiled. Maybe she had misunderstood Irina. However, this thought passed quickly. “Yet he needs more. If he gives into himself, he vill be much happier and return to ze girl he really loves.” 

“Excuse me?” 

“Ze way he looks at you...eet ees not ze way he once looked at me.” 

“Irina, if you still love him, I’m sorry, but he’s moved on. If he wanted to be with you now, he would be.”

“We vill see,” Irina said, lifting her chin and turning to saunter away. Jessa had given Irina the benefit of the doubt and been wrong. The girl was trying to steal her boyfriend, and she wasn’t about to let that happen. Except, what if Irina was right and Pavel still had feelings for her? Jessa tried to put the thought out of her mind and get back to her work.


	9. Kerrah the Robot

The Enterprise had landed on a planet to explore for a couple of days. They were still planning on taking Irina and her friends to the nearest starbase, but they figured there was no harm in exploring a planet for a few days. When they beamed back up, Spock entered the room where Kerrah was studying with a few objects in his hands. He placed them on the table in front of her. 

“The captain wishes for you to find information on these artifacts. We obtained them from some natives during an exploration of the planet and wish to know more about their society.” 

“I’ll take a look at them,” Kerrah said. Spock nodded and left her to her work. Picking up the first artifact, a small box, she examined it, trying to figure out how to open it. Finally, she found a small switch on it and flipped it. The box opened and she found a powder inside. She lifted some of it in her fingers, letting it sift through them and then smelling it. It smelled similar to ginger. She closed the box and shrugged it off, then picked up the next artifact. 

*****

Captain Kirk went to see if Kerrah had made any progress on the study of the artifacts. He found her sitting behind a table with the artifacts in front of her, but she was just staring ahead. 

“Ensign,” he said. 

“Yes?” she answered in a soft monotone.

“I was wondering if you had discovered anything about these artifacts.” 

“This one has powder in it,” she said in the same monotone, almost as if in a trance. 

“Okay...Ensign, are you feeling alright?”

“I do not understand what you mean,” she said. She still hadn’t changed positions, hadn’t looked at the captain, there was no change or inflection in her voice.

“I mean that you seem...a little out of it.” 

“I do not understand what you mean,” she repeated. Kirk was starting to get concerned, so he pressed a button on a communicator panel on the wall and addressed the ship.

“Spock, McCoy, meet me in the sickbay.” Then he turned back to Kerrah. “Ensign, will you come with me, please?” 

“Yes,” she answered, still in the monotone. She stood up stiffly and walked over to him, looking at him for the first time, although there was barely, if any, recognition. He took her gently by the arm and led her into the turbolift so that he could take her to the sickbay. When they got there, he brought her in and McCoy helped him sit her down on one of the beds. Spock raised an eyebrow. 

“What’s the matter with her?” McCoy asked. 

“I don’t know. She seems almost catatonic, like she’s in a trance or something.” 

“Kerrah, how are you feeling?” McCoy asked, putting on his best comforting voice. 

“I do not understand what you mean,” she said for the third time. 

“Is there something upsetting you?”

“I do not understand.” 

At this, Spock and McCoy raised eyebrows at each other and Spock stepped forward. Placing a hand on his girlfriend’s face, he waited for a few moments to see if he could get anything through a mind meld. A moment later, he lowered his hand and spoke. 

“There is nothing there. It is as if she is a machine: all of the required components are present, but she has not been programmed.” 

“Any idea what could have done this to her?” McCoy asked. “Has she come into contact with anything unusual recently?” 

“I gave her some artifacts from that planet to look at, it must have to do with one of those. Bones, perhaps you’d better examine them, see if any of them might have done this to her.” 

“I’m on it, Jim.” 

“Spock, would you go get those items and bring them to Doctor McCoy? I’d better get back to the bridge.”

“Yes, Captain.” 

“Jim, what should I do with Kerrah?” 

“I think for now, it would be best to keep her here under observation. We don’t know what’s affecting her and what else might happen.” 

McCoy worked on making Kerrah comfortable in a bed while Spock went to get the artifacts.


	10. Chekov's Proof

Jessa went to see Kerrah to make sure she was okay. Kerrah didn’t act like she recognized Jessa at all. Needing some comfort after seeing her friend in that state, she went to the bridge to talk to Pavel. 

When she got there, he found Irina standing next to where Pavel was sitting. They were chatting and Irina was smiling. Jessa felt a pang of insecurity, but pushed it aside. Irina had just been trying to get to her, Pavel really loved her. She approached and put a hand on Pavel’s shoulder. 

“Jezza,” Pavel smiled, taking her hand. Jessa smiled as he stood up, but he could see that she was not entirely happy. “What ees wrong?” 

“Something is wrong with Kerrah, she doesn’t seem to recognize me. Doctor McCoy is examining her.” 

“I am sure your friend will be okay,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She sighed comfortably in his arms. “I must get back to work,” he told her sadly, letting her go and sitting back down. Jessa sadly left the bridge, Irina following after her. When they were both in the turbolift, Irina just gave Jessa a smug look. Jessa felt another bout of insecurity. Pavel seemed to have spent some time chatting with Irina, but only briefly gave her attention before he went back to work. She returned to her quarters and couldn’t stop some tears from coming out.   
Several hours later, Jessa had fallen asleep crying. There was a knock on her door and it woke her up. She stretched and went to the door, her eyes still red from crying. She found Chekov there.

“Pavel?” 

“Jezza, you have been crying?”

“No...”

“What ees ze matter?” She let him in and he wrapped his arms around her, placing a kiss into her hair. “Please tell me. Is eet your friend?”

“Yes, I am worried about her...”

“There is something else. What is eet?” 

“Pavel, I don’t want to keep you from...I want you to be happy.”

“What do you mean, Jezza? I am happy.”

“I mean...if you want to be with Irina, I’d understand.” 

“Irina? But I do not want Irina. You are ze one I love.” 

“I am? I just thought that seeing her again...”

“Seeing her again changes nothing,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the bed. “Do I need to show you?” he asked, his eyes sparkling as she laid down and he got on the bed next to her. 

“Maybe...” she smiled, running her fingers up and down his chest. With that encouragement, he threaded his fingers into her red hair and pulled her closer, kissing her lovingly. His tongue slipped into her mouth and he rolled on top of her, allowing her to pull his yellow uniform over his head as he started kissing a line down her neck. He teased her earlobe with his tongue, whispering what he was planning on doing to her in Russian, and it somehow made it more thrilling that she couldn’t understand what he was saying. He worked on getting her red uniform off of her and kissed his way down to the top of her chest, his voice vibrating against her skin as he removed her bra and continued speaking in Russian as he moved his mouth lower. He knew that the Russian drove her crazy. 

She started breathing heavily and then changed things around, flipping him over and straddling him, leaning down to draw designs on his chest with her tongue. He moaned and tugged at her hair before she grabbed at the waistband of his pants, making him lift his hips so that she could remove them. Once they were gone, he rolled them back over and worked on removing their remaining garments while he started kissing across her stomach. Soon, he wasted no more time in showing her who he loved and wanted to be with.


	11. Spock is Not Himself

A few days later, McCoy called Captain Kirk to the sickbay. Kerrah was still in the same state she had been in, and it was a struggle to even get her to eat. Spock had come multiple times each day to check on her, and McCoy took great delight in trying to get Spock to admit that he was feeling concerned, although he was not successful in this activity. 

When Captain Kirk reached McCoy, he held up the box full of powder. 

“The powder in this box is what caused it. Here, Jim, you can smell it, but don’t touch it.” Kirk smelled it and shrugged. 

“It smells a lot like ginger.” 

“It doesn’t seem like anything dangerous or extraordinary, but when touched, it has a powerful effect on the brain. It seems to have affected her amygdala, cingulate gyrus, and substantia nigra.” 

“In English?”

“It’s like this powder numbed the parts of her brain that deal with moods, emotions, and voluntary movement.” 

“Have you told Mr. Spock?”

“I haven’t seen him all day. He’s been coming in to check on her for the last few days, but I haven’t seen him once today.” Kirk spoke into a communicator panel on the wall. 

“Spock, report to sickbay.” A moment later, Spock’s voice came back. 

“Leave me alone,” he said angrily. Kirk looked very confused, but didn’t think much of it.

“He must be more worried about her than we realized,” he guessed, although that didn’t seem like a likely explanation for his uncharacteristic behavior.

*****

Spock had returned to the bridge and gotten back to work, but he seemed pretty edgy. Occasionally Kirk would notice his hands shaking; he was quieter than usual, and seemed like he was having some trouble focusing. After about an hour of this, Spock addressed the captain.

“Captain, I wish to return to my quarters.”

“What is it, Spock? Is something wrong?” 

“Captain, I have made my request,” Spock snapped. “Do I have permission to return to my quarters or not?” 

“Permission granted,” Kirk answered confusedly. Spock was a more than dependable crewman and deserved to be granted the occasional request, but it was so unlike him to be irritable and neglect his responsibilities. Spock returned to his room and Kirk went to the sickbay. He needed a second opinion. 

“Bones, have you noticed Mr. Spock acting a bit strange lately? Irritable, a bit unfocused?”

“I haven’t seen him yet, captain. Would you like me to examine him?”

“I’m not sure. He hasn’t given me any reason to doubt him, but he’s never acted like this before.” Suddenly, McCoy raised an eyebrow very high. 

“He has once before,” McCoy reminded. “It had to be, oh, six or seven years ago now.” Kirk thought for a moment, trying to remember. Suddenly, it came to him. 

“Yes, I remember now. He asked to return to Vulcan, and I practically had to force an explanation out of him. Pon farr...every seven years. That means...”

“It means that he’s only got about a week to live unless something is done.” 

“Kerrah...is there any improvement?” 

“Not yet.” 

“Do you think you can find a cure for whatever this powder did to her?” 

“I don’t know, Jim. I can try, but I don’t have very much time.” 

“Then I suggest you hurry. I’m not going to lose my first commander, Doctor. You’d better get his girlfriend fixed before that becomes an issue.” 

“I’ll start right away, Jim.”


	12. McCoy Tells Stories

Jessa and Chekov were eating together when Irina came in and sat down next to them. Trying to ignore her annoyance, Jessa focused on her food. Couldn’t she have some alone time with her boyfriend without Irina interrupting them? It seemed like whenever they wanted to spend quality time together, Irina was right there. 

“Hello, Pavel. Jezza.” 

“Hello, Irina. Would you like some food? I kin get you some,” Pavel offered politely.

“No, I am not hungry. Pavel, I was wondering eef I could discuss science vith you tonight.” 

“Science? But you dropped out of ze Academy.” 

“Yes, but I still would like to talk to someone about eet. I would like to know what scientific adwancements have been made since I left ze Academy.” 

“Eef you would like, I believe I have some free time this evening.” 

“Excellent. I vill see you tonight,” Irina said, giving Jessa a smile and sauntering away. 

That night, Jessa tried not to cry as she lay alone in her bed, hugging a pillow, knowing that Irina was spending time alone with her Pavel, talking about things she didn’t know anything about. 

Irina arrived at Chekov’s quarters and was permitted entrance. She smiled at him, walking over and putting her hands on his chest. He took a step away from her, and she realized that they weren’t alone in his quarters. Doctor McCoy was in the room as well. 

“I inwited Doctor McCoy to join in ze discussion. He is wery knowledgeable about ze most recent scientific adwancements. I would also have inwited Mr. Spock, but he seems to be…not himself at ze moment.” 

“Oh…I see,” Irina said. She had been hoping for some alone time with Pavel. However, she couldn’t express this, so she simply sat down and began the conversation. Doctor McCoy started talking, and forty-five minutes later, he was still going at it. 

“…and when we all woke up, Spock’s brain was entirely removed; every nerve ending had been sealed, it was a flawless operation, but the science of it was completely beyond me. We had to go find out who had taken out his brain, I mean the man could have died, but I didn’t have the scientific knowledge to just pop it back in there, so we had to find out how to do that…”   
Irina sighed. McCoy had been talking nonstop for almost an hour, telling stories about the new scientific and medical discoveries he had made since being aboard the Enterprise. 

“Once we ended up on this planet with a disease that only affected the adults; all the adults had died, and the children were the only ones left, and they got it as soon as they went through puberty. Well, soon everyone except Spock had gotten it, and I had to come up with an antidote before he was the only one left alive. So I took some tissue samples to try to isolate the organism that had caused it…” 

She listened to him talk for another several minutes, then finally interrupted. 

“Zis is all so interesting, Doctor McCoy, but I am getting tired. I tink I vill go to bed. Perhaps we shall continue zis discussion another time?”

“Oh…sure, that’s fine,” he said, although he seemed a bit grumpy about having been interrupted. 

“Goodnight, Pavel,” she said. 

“Goodnight, Irina,” he answered, glad he could help her learn about science. She went back to the temporary quarters she had been given and kicked the bed in frustration. How could Pavel not understand that she had wanted alone time with him? Perhaps she’d just have to be more obvious.


	13. Nothing Can Be Done

Captain Kirk entered the sickbay to find McCoy waving instruments in front of Kerrah’s face. She was not reacting at all. Spock was also in the sickbay lying on a bed. His hands were trembling and he looked like he was mustering all the focus he had. There were only three or four days left until the chemical imbalance in his body killed him. 

“Is there any improvement?” Kirk asked McCoy, regarding Kerrah. 

“Not that I can tell. I’m working on an antidote for this powder, but we’re running out of time.” 

“You go work on it. I’ll try talking to her, see if I can get through to her.” McCoy went to continue working on the antidote and Kirk stood in front of Kerrah. “Kerrah…can you hear me?” 

“Yes.” 

“How are you feeling?” 

“I do not understand what you mean.” 

“I mean that you’re…you’re not yourself, you aren’t experiencing the emotions you usually feel. Do you understand?” 

“I do not understand.” 

“Kerrah, if you don’t snap out of this, Spock will die. He needs you. He needs to…to be with you. Do you understand?”

“I do not understand.” 

“Captain, she is not herself. There is no way to make her understand by words alone,” Spock said, every word coming out as if it were a struggle. 

“Spock, I can’t just stand by and let you die. Something needs to be done.” 

“Nothing can be done.” With this final observation by Spock, Kirk gave up and sadly walked out of the sickbay, hoping that is first in command would survive the next few days and that McCoy would be able to fix Kerrah quickly.


	14. Jessa is Distant

The next day, Jessa didn’t try talking to Pavel at all. She felt like he’d rather spend time with Irina. Although he said he loved her, not Irina, Jessa couldn’t help but feel like he was developing feelings for his ex-girlfriend again. She figured it was just best to give him some space. 

That night, he went to her quarters. When she let him in, he immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. 

“Ees something wrong, Jezza?” 

“No, everything’s fine,” she said. He looked at her like he didn’t quite believe it. “Really. Everything’s okay.” 

“I missed you today,” he told her, kissing her again deeply and pushing her toward the bed. They collapsed onto the bed and continued kissing, when suddenly Chekov stopped. “Are you sure you are okay?” 

“I’m fine. I guess I’m just tired. I think I just want to go to sleep.” 

“Alright,” he said a bit sadly. She changed into her sleepwear and he took off his clothes so that he was just wearing his underwear and he got into bed with her. He spooned her and pressed a kiss onto the side of her bed before they both fell asleep, both with the odd feeling that something was a bit off between them. 

When Jessa woke up, Pavel had already woken up, gotten dressed and reported to the bridge. Sighing, she got dressed too, and didn’t speak to him again for the rest of the day.


	15. Fights

The next day, there was still no improvement in Kerrah. McCoy was closer to finding an antidote, but Kirk was beginning to worry that it wouldn’t be finished in time. He did not want to lose his science officer. He visited Spock in his quarters to see what was to be done. 

“There’s still no improvement with Kerrah,” Kirk informed his friend sadly. 

“Then I must accept my defeat,” Spock said calmly. 

“Well, I’m not going to just accept this. There must be something that can be done, Spock.” Kirk paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. “Seven years ago, this happened…it was cured when we fought and I became unconscious. Spock, you need to fight me again. That’s an order.” He spoke into the communication panel on the wall. “Kirk to bridge. Chekov, is there a planet we can land on as soon as possible? It doesn’t much matter what it is.” 

“We can reach Shonra tomorrow morning, Keptin.” 

“That’ll do. Get us there, Mr. Chekov.” 

“Aye, sir.” 

“Be ready to fight tomorrow morning, Spock. I may get roughed up, but I need you alive.” 

“Yes, Captain,” Spock said, resigning himself to this. Kirk went to sleep early, knowing he would need his strength for the following day. 

*****

Jessa was on her way to Pavel’s quarters that evening. She felt like she should apologize for being so distant the previous night – he had asked her what was wrong and she had avoided the question instead of being honest with him, not to mention that he had wanted to make love to her, but she had turned him down. She decided it would be better to talk to her boyfriend about her concerns than to be passive-aggressive. 

While she was on her way to his quarters, she thought she heard his voice in a lounge area. She turned to go check if it was really him that was in there. 

Pavel had been reading in a lounge when Irina had joined him. The two started chatting about Russia and their days at Starfleet Academy. 

“We were quite ze pair, you and I,” Irina said. 

“Yes, but zat is in ze past,” Chekov reminded her, standing up. Irina stood up too and began walking closer to him. He backed up, not entirely liking the look she had on her face. 

“Pavel, eet does not have to be in ze past,” she said seductively. She had backed him into a wall and now put her hands on his shoulders, pressing her body against his and leaning in to kiss him. Before her lips could get close enough, Jessa walked in and saw the unfortunate scene. 

“Jezza!” Pavel said with relief. However, a moment later, he saw the look on her face as tears welled up in her eyes. “Jezza, what is eet? You do not think…” 

“I don’t know what to think,” Jessa said as a tear rolled down her cheek, and she turned and ran as quickly as she could back to her quarters. Chekov tried to chase after her, but she disappeared into the turbolift before he could get to her. Angrily, he turned back to Irina, who had a very self-satisfied look on her face. 

“Irina, I love Jezza. You and I grew apart long ago, and I do not want to repeat ze past. We never would have worked, we are too different; but Jezza is ze one I want to be with. She is proud of what I do and helps me to be better. I wanted to be your friend, but now I cannot respect you.” With that, he stomped away to his quarters, leaving an annoyed and rejected Irina behind. When he got to his quarters, he changed his mind and went to Jessa’s quarters. He knocked on her door. 

“Jezza?” 

“Go away,” she said, her voice cracking. She was obviously crying. 

“Jezza, let me explain.” 

“I don’t think I want to know.” 

“Jezza, eet is not what you think. Nothing happened…eet is a misunderstanding…” Chekov paused while a couple of people walked by and raised their eyebrows. 

“No, I think I understand perfectly,” Jessa replied. Realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere, since she wouldn’t let him in or listen to him, Pavel walked away dejectedly, hoping that when she had calmed down a bit that she would listen to him. Both of them cried themselves to sleep that night.


	16. Spock Gets Some

McCoy worked all night. Finally, early in the morning, he managed to finish the antidote. He just hoped it would work and that it wouldn’t do something bad to Kerrah. He filled up a syringe and went over to Kerrah, who had just woken up. 

“How are you feeling, Kerrah?” he asked. 

“I do not understand.” 

“Of course not. Kerrah, I’m going to stick this into your arm.” 

“Alright.” 

McCoy rolled up her uniform sleeve and stuck the needle into her arm, injecting the serum he had made. After a few moments, Kerrah blinked a few times and looked around. 

“Doctor McCoy? What happened?” McCoy sighed in relief. 

“How do you feel?”

“I feel fine…was I sick? What day is it?” 

McCoy explained briefly what had happened to her and how much time had passed. Then he took a few minutes to explain Spock’s situation. Kerrah, being an anthropologist, knew a bit about pon farr already. Kerrah blushed. 

“So…he needs to…”

“He needs to mate. Or he’ll die. He doesn’t have much time.” 

“Is he okay?” 

“As far as I know. I’ll call him in…sickbay to Spock.” It wasn’t Spock who answered, however, but Scotty. 

“Spock and the captain have already beamed down to Shonra, Doctor,” Scotty said. McCoy looked at Kerrah. 

“We’d better hurry,” he said. He knew that Kirk would do anything to save Spock’s life, he would fight Spock to the death if he had to. “Scotty, can you meet us in the transporter room?” 

“Aye, Doctor.” 

Kerrah and McCoy hurried to the transporter room and got on the transporter. Scotty pressed a few buttons and flipped a few switches, and soon Kerrah and the doctor were standing on Shonra. There was snow falling and ice everywhere. They saw Spock and Kirk in the distance and ran toward them. The two men were staring at each other intently, circling each other. Spock looked like he was suffering a great deal – his eyes were rolling back into his head and he was trembling. Kerrah knew that Spock was experiencing the plak tow, the ‘blood fever’ that took over a Vulcan’s mind in the latest stages of pon farr, and that Spock would be unable to think clearly in this state.

“Stop!” McCoy shouted, and Kirk looked at him. Spock didn’t move. “Jim, she’s cured. Kerrah is back to being herself.” 

“Thank goodness,” Kirk sighed with relief. He would have fought Spock to save his life, but frankly he preferred not to. “Let’s get off this godforsaken planet, it’s freezing.” He spoke into his communicator. “Kirk to Enterprise. Mr. Scott? Beam us up.” A moment later, the four of them were all standing on the transporter again. Now that they were safe and warm on the ship, Kirk put a hand on Kerrah’s shoulder. 

“Ensign…I think it might be best if you escorted Mr. Spock to his quarters.” 

“Yes, Captain,” Kerrah answered, catching his meaning. She took Spock by the hand to help him – he was in no state to go wandering off on his own. Kirk and McCoy just looked at each other, both relieved that the situation was being taken care of. 

*****

Kerrah and Spock reached his quarters and she brought him inside. He looked at her, clearly using every bit of strength he had not to grab her. She looked at him nervously and pulled off her dress, tights, and boots until she was standing only in her undergarments. Spock pulled off his clothes until he was in a similar state of undress. Kerrah was incredibly nervous – she had never done this before, and she didn’t know if she would be able to satisfy him. What if she didn’t cure his condition? They went to the bed and laid down on it. Spock reached his hand out and placed it gently on her face, and suddenly she could feel what he was feeling, the plak tow. She trembled as hormones and heat rushed through her veins. He was performing the Vulcan telepathic mating bond. 

With that, Kerrah leaned in and kissed him. Once this contact had been made, it was as if a door opened up and pure passionate energy poured through, surging between them like electricity. Spock kissed her as he never had before, desperately, hungrily, his hands roaming all over her body. Her mouth left his to kiss down his neck, sucking on the skin, causing him to breathe heavily. He moved his fingers over her lower spine, remembering the effect it had previously had on her, and she moaned and returned her mouth to his, slipping her tongue inside to explore. He unhooked her bra and tossed it aside in one swift motion and rolled on top of her, then released her lips to kiss a path down her neck. Her hands ran up and down his back and he sighed against her skin. He moved his mouth across her collarbone, down her sternum, and then across her cleavage, reaching under her to move his fingers over the sensitive nerves at the bottom of her spine again, and she moaned and dug her fingernails into his back. This caused him to moan against her skin, and he slid his hands all over her body before quickly working on removing the last scraps of fabric that stood between them. A little while after that, Spock’s pon farr was cured.


	17. Chekov Asks a Question

Jessa had spent some time thinking about what she had seen the previous day and decided she wanted to talk to Pavel. Maybe she had overreacted and there was some misunderstanding. Even if there wasn’t one, at least if she talked to him she would know for sure if he was leaving her to reunite with Irina. She just wanted the whole ridiculous thing to be over with. She knocked on the door to Pavel’s quarters and waited until he admitted her. 

“Jezza!” he gasped. He let her in and they sat next to each other on his bed. 

“Pavel, I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you last night. You wanted to talk to me, and now I am ready.” 

“I am glad. Jezza, nothing happened between me and Irina. She spoke to me; she told me that she and I were good together and that zis did not have to stay in ze past…but I told her zat I love you. She would not listen, she tried to kiss me, and zat is when you walked in. I was just about to push her away.” 

“Really?” Jessa said, smiling. “But she told me that you don’t look at me the way you used to look at her, and told me about what a great couple you two were, and I thought…” Jessa teared up. 

“Eef I do not look at you ze way I looked at her, eet is because I never loved her as much as I love you. Even all those years ago, we were not a great couple – we were too different, we did not understand each other. She has not changed. Do not let her come between us. You are ze one I love and I want to be with you. I think about you all day long, when I’m sitting on ze bridge, and sometimes Keptin Kirk has to ask me to plot a route twice.” 

“Really?” Jessa asked with a smile. “What else do you think about?” Noticing the flirtatious look in her eyes, he leaned forward. 

“Sometimes, I think about this,” he whispered, placing a kiss on her lips. 

“What else?” she asked. 

“I think about your smile,” he said. “I think about your woice. I think about how I want to marry you and be with you for ze rest of my life,” he admitted, blushing and looking down. Jessa’s breath caught in her chest and a smile spread over her face. 

“What did you just say?” 

“I said…Jezza, I want to marry you. Eef eet is too soon, I will understand, but…will you be my wife?” 

“Really? You want to marry me?” 

“Ov course. I do not have a ring…” he said, embarrassed. 

“That’s okay! We can get one…oh, I haven’t even answered you yet! Yes, Pavel!” He beamed and wrapped his arms around her, and they kissed each other lovingly, not being able to stop smiling even as they kissed. Finally, he broke the kiss to find that tears of happiness were sliding down her cheeks, and he wiped them away and kissed her on the forehead. He pulled her close and stroked her hair, whispering in her ear,

“There is one more thing I think about when I am on ze bridge.” 

“What is that?” 

He responded by whispering in Russian the naughty things he thought about on the bridge, and then proceeded to translate it in the form of a demonstration.


	18. Spock Gets Some More

Kerrah woke up and found that she was cuddled into Spock’s side, her head on his bare chest, his arm around her. She lifted her head and looked up at him, and he opened his eyes. Sighing contentedly, much too comfortable to get up, she rested her head back on his chest. 

“Spock?” she finally started. 

“Yes?” Kerrah didn’t answer for a moment; she was too embarrassed about what she was about to ask. Finally, she managed to get it out. 

“Is it going to be seven years before I can…before we do that again?” 

“During pon farr is not the only time Vulcans can mate, but is simply the only time when a Vulcan must mate.” 

“So…we could do it again, theoretically, right now?” 

“Yes, that would be possible.” 

Kerrah took this as a cue and rolled on top of him, giving him a long, languid kiss. She rolled them over so that he was on top of her and ran her fingernails up his back, creating green lines where her nails had dug into his skin as he moaned softly. She rolled them back over and sucked a dark green mark onto his neck. He was breathing heavily, responding to these actions, but was still maintaining mental control of the situation. She took Spock’s hand and placed it on her face, prompting him to experience some of her arousal, and he raised an eyebrow. 

“Fascinating,” he said, then sighed as she started kissing across his collarbone. Her mouth returned to his and she felt his tongue slide over hers as his fingers moved over the spot on her spine. He lifted his head to kiss her neck, and soon Kerrah learned that pon farr was not necessarily required in order to be very intimate with a Vulcan.


	19. Engaged

Jessa awoke to find Pavel wrapped around her, his head on her shoulder, looking very content. She pressed a kiss onto his arm and he woke up, smiling up at her. 

“Good morning, my Pavel,” she smiled, and he slid up in the bed to give her a proper kiss good morning. 

“Good morning, my beautiful Jezza,” he responded, kissing a line up her neck until he reached her lips again. They kissed affectionately and sweetly for a few moments and then the kiss grew in passion. Their tongues began exploring each other’s mouths and his hands slid up her sides and moved over to stroke her chest. 

“Well, this is turning out to be an even better morning than I expected,” Jessa giggled, then sighed as Pavel’s mouth moved to nibble on her earlobe. Her fingers moved over his bare chest, drawing hearts and writing ‘I love you.’ He sighed against the skin of her collarbone and pinned her wrists to the bed, holding them down firmly as he teased the skin of her sternum and upper chest with his mouth, experimenting between gentle kisses and hard bites. She moaned and lifted her hips to press against his, feeling his excitement and begging him to satisfy the urge, but he didn’t yet. He continued holding her wrists with one hand while the other tangled in her hair, giving it a few good tugs as he bit her earlobe. She moaned again, and he finally gave into her begging and his own desire.


	20. Chekov's Announcement

Chekov reported to the bridge and Jessa came with him – she didn’t have much to do and wanted to watch him work. He realized they were pretty close to a starbase. He directed them there and informed the captain. Thinking it would be the polite thing to do, Captain Kirk had called Irina to come say goodbye to her old friend. When she arrived on the bridge, she tried to give Chekov a hug goodbye, but he stepped away. 

“Keptin, may I make an announcement?” Surprised, Captain Kirk answered,

“Sure, Mr. Chekov.” 

“Keptin…friends…” he started, walking over to Jessa and taking her hand. “It is my greatest pleasure to announce that Jezza and I are engaged.” Everyone stood in stunned silence for a moment, Irina glaring, but a moment later Captain Kirk came and shook Chekov’s hand, giving Jessa a brief hug. 

“That’s wonderful news! Congratulations to you both.” 

“Thank you, Keptin.” Uhura, Sulu, and Scotty also congratulated them, exchanging hugs and smiles. Finally, Chekov made his way back to Irina. 

“You must really love her,” Irina said. 

“I do. Goodbye, Irina.” 

“Goodbye, Pavel,” she said, and Scotty took her to the transporter room to join her friends when they beamed down to the starbase. 

“Wait a minute, where’s Spock?” Captain Kirk suddenly asked, realizing for the first time that he wasn’t on the bridge, which was unlike him since he was usually quite punctual. “Kirk to Spock…report to the bridge.” 

A moment later, Spock entered the bridge. Kirk took one look and raised his eyebrows when he saw the dark green mark on the Vulcan’s neck. 

“Mr. Spock, you’re late.” 

“My apologies, Captain. I was…detained.” 

“I’m sure you were,” Kirk said knowingly, giving him a ‘you sly dog’ smile. “Mr. Chekov, direct us out.” 

“Yes, Keptin.”


End file.
